Airplane



' H. G. SMITH Nov. 15, 1932.

AIRPLANE Filed May 15. 1950 INVENTR. rg 5227/'27 BY f ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 15, 1932 j AUNIT-12D STATES HARRY G. SMITH, or DEARBORN, MICHIGAN f1 Y Y ppntion med may is, 11930.., se'r1a1 No. 452,556.1 l

My invention relates to airplanes and more particularly to the vehicle Structure, Awith special reference to the under-carriage or landing gear. ,e

A great deal of attention is now being given to stream-lining airplanes in order to reduce wind resistance as muchas possible, and lin order to obtain more speed and to reduce the fuel consiunpti'on. The parasite resistance i0 of the usual landing gear has been very diiiicult to overcome and this has been partially reduced by providing astream-line shell to the rear of the wheels, but which is only ex-4 tended rearwardly from the upper half of the wheel. Retractable landing gears have been proposed, but this method is rather expensive to manufacture and has onlylproved tovbesatisfactory on light planes requiring only ai lightly constructed landing gear. The larger type of commercial planes require a larger and heavier landing gear and these cannot be readily .retracted into the wings or into the fuselage. rl`his problem of lreduc-` ing parasite resistance is growing greater each year. Y Y Y It is an object of my invention to reduce the parasite resistance to a minimum by providing a streamlining structure adapted to be supported to the rear of the landing wheel that will more perfectly eliminate this parasite resistance. Y I .Y

Another object of my invention is to construct a streamlined shell that is supported to thejrear of the entire wheel for reducing the parasite resistance to a minimum, but which may be readily retractedl when making a landing. y

A further object of my.4 invention is to facilitate the landing of airplanes provided with streamlined shells to the rear of the entire wheel, and which project below the lowermost point of the wheel by providing means4 for automatically -retracting the said shell upon landing.

For a more detailed understanding of my invention, reference may be had to thea@-l companying drawing, illustrating a preferred .form of my invention and in which: Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an air- 90 plane landing gear structure provided with a retractable streamlinedshell extending tothe f l ance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof rear of the wheels and constructed in acco'rdv F'g. 3 isa sectional viewy taken on the line-5,5V

34-'3 of Fig. 1; l

Fig. 4LV is a detailed sectional view taken on l l Fig`.5 is aside elevational view of a modi- `lied form oficonstru'ctionf, and v 60 Fig. 6 is anvenlargedsectional viewillustrating the structure shownin'Fig. 5.

t vThe landing Ygear of an airplane is susj pended beneathl'the planestructure and'generally supported by struts attachedto the 65 fuselage of thel plane. `In my drawing (Fig.

1) I haveillustrated a fragmentaryportion 10 of a fuselage the struts 11 of a landing -gear ,structure which comprises an axle 7.12

and wheels 13., The wheels are rotatably sup-v m ported on the axle and are vpreferably supplied withtires of asuiiic'ie'nt size tocarry Vthe load ofthe plane. These wheels and tires which are usually of considerable size .project into the air stream and considerable power is wasted in overcoming this parasite resistance. Y e

I have provided a streamlinedjshell struc# ture A adapted to be securedin'. place directly to the rear of the wheeLl This shell 80 is constructed, as is clearly illustrated, 'in the drawing, of a shape which may be pro# pelled through the air with a minimum loss of power. ,Obviously a shellstructure which encloses the entire rear portion of the wheel that extends to the rear of the vertical plane containing the .wheel axis, and which is curved to follow the. air stream asit flows by the wheel,fwill presenta minimum of resistance, and will have the least frictional 90 resistance. Such a shellstructure is lillustrated in Figs. 1V and 5, but itwill be noted that this shell when projected rearwardly in a horizontal plane as shown in Fig. 5 and by the dotted lines in Fig. 1,-projects below the lowermostpoint of the wheel. The shell is supported in this substantial horizontal position when the plane is in flight by means of a' pin 15 or othersuitable lug carried by the shell which engages the shoulder 16 of a stop 100 plate 17 carried by the fixed axle or any other l fixed part of the landing gear structure. The shoulder 18 limits the upward travel of the shell. i

To the rear of the wheel axle, a skid 19 is preferably secured to the shell,`this skid being secured at any, suitable location andA constructed of a predetermined length and pesi-V wheels to roll along the ground. It is noted that the lower position of the wheel is thus uncovered. Then the plane rises .off the ground the shell will drop again by gravity to the horizontal position that it assumes when the plane is iiying.

It will thus be noted that I have provided a structure which is automatically retracted out of the way on landing plane. The pilot need not think about the operation of this mechanism for it is always positively automatically operated as soon as the skid strikes the ground. Furthermore the shell may be constructed as to very lightly contact with the tire so that the rotation of the wheel when rolling along the ground tends to lift the shell or maintain the same in a retractedfposition.

If found desirable, a cable 25, or other. suitable retracting means may be incorporated in the structure so that the pilot may lift the shell if he so desires. Such a cable may be advantageously used in larger planes.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a further modification. In addition to the skid, a brake device or drag may be carried by the shell. This ldevice comprises a shoe 30 which is yieldingly pressed against the tire by the spring 31. Thus as the wheel rotates the shell is positively lifted from the horizontal position to an elevated position and held'there because of the friction between the brake shoeV and tire.V If desirable this shoe may be engaged with a brake drum instead of the rubber tire.

This bra-kedevice is more useful when used in conjunction with large size landing gear structures. Vhen a streamline shell of usual design is employed which does not cover the' entire rear half of the wheel, the skid need not be used. But because of the relative great movement` of thev wheel when employing shock absorbing devices having'an excessive amount of play, a structure as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 will be quite useful in elevating the shell out of the way of the ground.

' Although 'I have illustrated but a few forms of my invention and have described in detail but a few applications thereof, it will be understood that various modications and changes may be made therein without `departing from the spirit of my invention or from Vthe scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. A streamline shell for the landing gear able shell structure normally projected below the lowermost point of said landing gear,

and means adapted for engagement with the ground ,for automatically elevating the said shell structurer above thelowermost point on said'landin'g gear. Y

3. A streamline shell for the' landing wheel of an airplane or the like, comprising a movable shell structure extending to the rear'of said landing wheel -and enclosing at least that portion of the wheel to the lrear of a vertical plane containing the wheel axis, and means for automatically elevating said shell structure as the plane approaches the ground f to permit said wheels to Vengage the ground.

4. A streamline shell for the landing wheel of an airplane or the like, comprising a movable shell structure extending to the rear of said landingv wheel and enclosing at least that portion of the wheel lto the rear of a vertical plane containing thewheel axis, and means attached to and depending from said shell structureand adapted for engagement A with the ground for elevating said shell structure as the plane Iapproaches the ground.

5. A streamline shell for the landing wheel of an airplane or the like,comprising a movable shell structure extending to the rear Vof the landing wheel and enclosing more than l one-half of the wheel and including at least that portion thereof to the -rear of a vertical plane containing the wheel axis, and means for automatically moving said shell structure to uncover the lower portion of said'wheel. 6. A streamline shell for the landing wheel of an airplane or the like, comprising av shell structure pivotally supported to swing about the wheel'axis, said structure normally extended to the rear of the wheel and enclosing at least that portion of the wheel tothe rear of a vertical plane. containing the wheel axis, and means automatically operated 'as the plane 'approaches the ground to rotate said shell structure for uncovering the lower portion of the wheel to permit the same to engage the ground.

7 A streamline shell for the landing wheel of an airplane or the like, comprising a shell of a vertical plane containing the wheel axis,

and a skid depending from said shell strueture and adapted for engagement with the ground torot-ate said shell structure as the plane approaches the ground for uncovering the lower portion of the wheel to permit the Y same to engage the ground. Y Y Y 8. A streamline shell for the landing gearV of an airplane or the like, comprising a movable shell structure, means for automatically elevating said shell structure as the airplane approaches the ground, and means for limiting the movement of said shell structure. 9. A streamline shell for the landing wheel of an airplane or the like, comprising la shell structure pivotally supported to swing about the wheel axis, said structure normally extended to the rear of the wheel and enclosing 'at least that portion of the wheel'to the rear of a vertical plane containing the wheel axis, means for'supporting saidshell structure to maintain the same in substantially a horizontal position, and means for Vautomatically rotating said shell structure to uncover the lower portion of the wheel, thereby permitting the wheel to engage the ground.

10. A streamline shell for the landing wheel of an airplane or the like, comprising` a shell structure pivotally supported to swing about the wheel axis, said structure normally extending to the rear of the wheel and enclosing at least that portion ofthe wheel to the rear of a vertical plane containing the wheel axis, means for supporting said shell structure to'maintain the same in substantially a horizontal position, means for automatically rotating said shell structure `to uncover the lower portion of the wheel, thereby permitting the wheel to engage the ground, and means for limiting the rotating movement of said shell structure.

11. A streamline shell for the landing wheel of an airplane or the like, comprising a shell structure pivotally supported to swing about the wheel axis, said structure normally extending to the rear of the wheel and enclosing at least that portion of the wheel to the rear of a vertical plane containing the wheel axis, means for supporting said 'shell structure to maintain the same in substantially a horizontal'position, means for automatically rotating said shell structure to uncover the lower portion of the wheel, thereby permitting the wheel to engage the ground, means for limiting the rotating movement of said shell structure, and a xed stop for engaging said shell structure for limiting the rotational movement of said shell structure.

12. A streamline shell for the landing wheel of an airplane or the like, Comprising about the wheel axis, said structure normally extended to the rear of the wheel and enclosing at least that portion of the wheel to thev rear of a. vertical plane containing the wheel axis, means carried by said shell structure l and yieldingly engaging the wheel for transmitting the rotating force of the wheel to the wheel, and a stop for engaging said shell shell structure to rotate the said shell-struc- Y ture for uncovering the lower portion of the A7 Y structure to limit such rotational movement Y of said" shell strueture. l

13. A streamline shell for lthe landing 'wheel of an airplane or the like, comprising a shell structure pivotally supported to rotate v about the wheel axis, means carried by said shell structure 'and yieldingly engaging the wheel for transmitting the rotating force of Y the wheel to the shell structure for rotating the same, and means for limiting the rotationalV movement ofsaid shell structure.

14. A streamline shell for the landing wheel of an airplane or thev like, comprising a shell structure pivotally supported to ro- Vtate about the wheel axis,a brake shoe means kyieldingly carried by said shell structure and engaging the wheel to transmit the rotating force of the wheel to the shell structure-for rotating the same, and means for limiting the rotational movement of said shellstructure. f f y v15. A` streamline shell for.V the landing wheel of an airplane or the like, comprising a movable unitary shell structure normally extendin,.f ,fv above and below the upper and Y.

lower extremitiesv of the landing wheel, and means for moving said shell structure from said normal position to uncover the extreme .of said wheel toV facilitate ating with said wheel for actuating said shell structure to rotate same to elevate same for facilitating the landing of the airplane.

181A streamline shell for the landing wheel of anairplane or the like, comprising a about Vthe wheel axis, a brake shoe carried by said structure and adapted for yielding en-` shell kfor the landing shell structure pivotally supported to rotate gagement with the wheel whereby onrotan tion of saidV wheel said shell structure is rotated'toelevate same for facilitating the landing of the air lane. Y a shell structure pivotally supported to swing b p In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my 

